• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Hecht scores twice, Miller shuts down Capitals in Sabres' win

Nov 27, 2007 - 4:31 AM By Tim Hipps PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - Jochen Hecht had two goals and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Monday.

Ryan Miller stopped 30 shots for Buffalo, which has won five straight overall, and six of the last seven meetings with Washington here.

"I said before we went on the streak we had two or three games we deserved to win that we didn't win," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We did everything but win, and we lost some heart-breaking games where we just didn't score. We couldn't get a bounce. We couldn't get the puck to go into the net.

"We outplayed, we outshot, and we got nothing for it. We just stayed with it and we got a couple bounces to start the streak, and ever since then, guys have kind of lightened up and played even better."

However, it was a much closer affair then the last meeting on October 13 in which the Capitals allowed 53 shots in a 7-3 loss.

Hecht delivered the game-winner with his seventh goal of the season at 8:07 of the second period off an assist from Daniel Paille. Hecht took a pass from Paille on the left side of the net and poked it past Olaf Kolzig for a 2-1 lead.

"I give credit to Dan Paille on that one," Hecht said. "He battled hard to get that puck back. He got it back and saw me open and dished it over there with his backhand, and I just had to put it past (Kolzig's) pad."

Hecht helped extend the lead, as he stole a pass at the blue line and made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Jason Pominville, whose first goal in 14 games gave the Sabres a 3-1 lead at 11:47 of the second period.

Alex Ovechkin tallied his team-leading 17th goal for the Capitals, who had won two straight since interim coach Bruce Boudreau took over for Glen Hanlon on Thanksgiving Day.

And while the Sabres felt they haven't been getting any breaks, the same can be said for the Capitals at home recently.

"That's how it is every game with this ice," Washington defenseman Tom Poti said. "The ice is pretty embarrassing to say the least. The puck bounces around like a rubber ball out there. I guess it's the same for both teams, but it's not the most ideal situation for us."

Thirteen giveaways, two of which led directly to Sabres' goals, also cost the Capitals.

"When we turn it over in deep and we're caught flat-footed and they're coming down with speed, and bang, it's in the net," Kolzig said. "Until we clear that up, we're going to have nights like this."

Ovechkin tied the game at 1-1 just 49 seconds into the second period as he banged home his own rebound from the right side. The third-year pro swept in from the left wing and fired a shot into the pads of Miller and put back his own miss.

"Ovechkin's goal was a highlight reel by a superstar," Ruff said. "But at the same time, you've got to be able to score the other ones, too."

The Sabres opened the scoring in the first period as Hecht circled behind the net and scored to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead at 10:55.

Kolzig stopped 25 shots for Washington, which failed to convert any of its three power-play opportunities.

"It would have been nice to get a couple of those bounces," Poti said.

"The bottom line is we lost," Kolzig added. "We had two solid games where we're really feeling good about ourselves, and then to shoot ourselves in the foot is demoralizing."